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Considering myself to be only an average (although passionate) gardener, I purchased this book because I was looking for a good reference on the topic of bulbs. An amazingly exhaustive volume that was honored by the American Horticulture Society and named one of '75 Great American Garden Books', 'Bulbs' by John E. Bryan is almost overwhelming for the average gardener.
The beginning chapters of 'Bulbs' cover the normal gardening topics such as a brief bulb history, nomenclature, propagation, cultivation, forcing, and pests & diseases. The main bulk of the book (and it's real use) is the alphabetical listing of bulbs by genus. Included in each genus listing are general historical and general remarks followed by advice on their culture, pests and diseases, propagation methods and an amazingly complete listing of the species. The 1,171 photographs in the book are compiled alphabetically in three sections of plates, meaning that to see the plant photo referenced in the text you have to flip to the plant photo plate section of the book. These photos are (IMHO) generally of good quality and include flower close-ups, the entire plant, historical flower drawings/plates as well as pictures of some of the bulbs in the wild of mixed quality.
What makes this book seem overwhelming to the average gardener (i.e. me) is the sheer amount of information (in comparison to other gardening books). Following the listing of each species is a description of the plant, (possibly) individual cultural information and a list of known cultivars. In the case of very large or extensively hybridized genuses (i.e. tulipa) where there are many different 'families' of plants (i.e. Single early tulips, Darwin hydrid tulips, Lily-flowered tulips, etc), the families of plants are listed and described in detail with a few representative cultivars listed followed by the individual species. Because of this, 'Bulbs' can seem decidedly 'unfriendly' toward the average gardener (i.e. someone who just wants to look up the best red tulip cultivars). Furthermore, because 'Bulbs' lists all of the known species within the genus and not just the common 'garden worthy' varieties, I found it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of entries. However, it is also this completeness that also makes this book an invaluable reference for the more advanced gardeners, collectors and scientists alike. (In the case of the extensively hybridized genuses (i.e. tulips and daffadils), a more specialized reference book would probably be more appropiate than this through bulb survey.)
Overall, I believe that 'Bulbs' is an amazingly through book, but perhaps a little too through for the average gardener (I'm still keeping an eye open for a good garden bulb book - and I'm not a big fan of those smaller sized Taylor guides - any suggestions?). For the serious gardener, though, this book is a must read.
Bulbs (Hearst Garden Guides) Overviews
John Bryan’s substantive revision to his original magnum opus published in 1989—selected by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 great American gardening books— provides expanded coverage of some 230 genera and a staggering number of species, varieties, and cultivars. Genera are treated with detail appropriate to their importance, with information on history, classification, culture, propagation, pests and diseases, uses, and species and cultivars. Detailed encyclopedic plant listings are complemented by an equally comprehensive pictorial presentation. Not only are there more than 1100 color photographs—many showing the plants in their natural habitats—but there are also 43 color reproductions of botanical illustrations from 19th-century issues of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine and other publications, taken from the author’s extensive collection.
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